Written Answers Tuesday 22 February 2011

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has of the possible increased risk of breast cancer resulting from shift working.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the number of people having an increased risk of breast cancer resulting from shift working is not held centrally. We are aware of a number of published studies suggesting links between shift working and breast cancer, many of which are captured in the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) monograph available at:

  http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol98/index.php.

  However, evidence of an association is inconclusive and recently published papers which have examined the epidemiological evidence differ in their interpretation of the importance of shift-work as a causative factor in breast cancer. If individuals have any concerns, they should discuss these with their GP in the first instance.

  There are steps people can take to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer, for example, being more active, keeping bodyweight within healthy limits and limiting alcohol consumption. The Scottish Government is implementing a wide ranging programme of actions to help people to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died from bowel cancer in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the number of people who died from bowel cancer, in each year since 1999, are available for Scotland by NHS board on the Information Services Division website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1425.html.

  The most recent year for which numbers are available is 2009.

Charities

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations are in place regarding the conduct of charity street workers; what limitations the regulations place on their conduct, and whether it will review the regulations with the aim of ensuring that people are not pressurised to give to charity.

Fergus Ewing: Public charitable collections are currently regulated by section 119 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, and the Public Charitable Collections (Scotland) Regulations 1984, as amended. Local authorities are responsible for issuing licences for street collections and can specify certain conditions, such as the conduct of collectors.

  The Scottish Government is currently developing a new scheme for regulating public benevolent collections and intends to consult widely on this later in 2011.

Charities

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered charity street workers there are and how many are on commission.

Fergus Ewing: This information is not held centrally.

Children and Young People

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Children’s Services National Commissioning Steering Group.

Fergus Ewing: The remit of the Children’s Services National Commissioning Steering Group resulted from the National Residential Child Care Initiative and the Securing Our Future Initiative reports. The reports recommended the strategic commissioning of specialist residential services for children and young people on a national basis, with an initial focus on secure care. Over the past 12 months the group has developed a draft contract which for the first time puts outcomes for children at the heart of commissioning secure care. In the light of the need to achieve decommissioning the last meeting of the steering group on 15 December 2010 heard that Scotland Excel would issue the contract on behalf of the Scottish Government and local authorities by way of a competitive tender process. The advert for the contract appeared on the Public Contracts Scotland website on 18 February 2011 and can be accessed at:

  http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB088370.

Constitution

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has (a) estimated the cost of operating and (b) researched the logistics of establishing armed forces should Scotland become independent.

Fiona Hyslop: As set out in the Scottish Government’s White Paper Your Scotland, Your Voice , published on 30 November 2009, there would be a range of choices for an independent Scotland’s defence policy and defence capability, the logistics and costs for which would depend upon the decisions of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government following independence, and the terms of the independence settlement. The Scottish Government would work closely with the UK Government and with international partners during the transition from current UK defence arrangements to the establishment of a Scottish defence service.

Health

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider changing the terms of reference of the Penrose inquiry investigating the circumstances in which patients were infected with hepatitis C or HIV following treatment, in light of evidence found by the inquiry.

Nicola Sturgeon: After consultation with Lord Penrose, I have decided to amend the terms of reference on the basis of new evidence that has come to light in the form of medical reports which do not support a link between Mr Neil Mullen’s death and any treatment received by the NHS.

  The revised term of reference 6 will be amended to read:

  To investigate the deaths of Reverend David Black, Mrs Eileen O’Hara, Alexander Black Laing and Victor Tamburrini, with particular reference to the circumstances in which they became infected with the hepatitis C virus, HIV or both.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the items lost or stolen from NHS hospitals and facilities in each year since 2007-08, broken down by (a) date lost or stolen, (b) date reported and (c) value of the item.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not collect information on individual losses or thefts from NHS hospitals and facilities or the dates they are reported but this information should be held on individual NHS board loss registers. The Scottish Government does however obtain a summary report on such losses from boards each year advising of the number of losses and their value and the totals reported are shown in the following table:

  

NHS Board
Number of Incidents
2007-08 £
Number of Incidents
2008-09 £
Number of Incidents
2009-10 £


Ayrshire and Arran
564
97,567
267
51,256
267
46,259


Borders
7
15,000
7
17,049
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
38
22,980
56
66,686
24
31,530


Fife
158
23,463
86
19,722
67
16,494


Forth Valley
35
11,643
77
79,879
40
34,237


Grampian
10
20,313
11
25,774
24
47,017


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
0
0
26
91,000
76
252,611


Highland
12
3,920
6
787
20
166,637


Lanarkshire
42
9,059
447
66,132
293
95,526


Lothian
65
124,753
29
15,707
88
145,522


Orkney
3
1,236
4
2,016
4
2,860


Shetland
189
1,326
158
4,701
160
816


Tayside
107
48,228
99
133,750
17
111,619


Western Isles
22
12,181
2
12,370
0
0


NHS 24 
0
0
70
49
45
8,180


NHS Education Scotland
0
0
1
625
29
104,192


NHS Health
3
9,108
0
0
7
47,506


National Services Scotland
1
300
0
0
1
200


State Hospital
1
343
0
0
5
9,611


National Waiting Time Centre
0
0
0
0
0
0


Quality Improvement Scotland
0
0
0
0
1
48


Scottish Ambulance Service
0
0
0
0
4
15,940


Total Losses
1,257
401,420
1,346
587,503
1,172
1,136,805



  Source: NHS Boards Annual SFR 18 Return.

  Note: The 2008-09 figures have been revised to reflect an amended return.

  There have been two principal reasons for the increase in losses recorded by NHS boards:

  Revised guidance issued by the Scottish Government has led to a more rigorous reporting of losses of unsettled bills for overseas visitors, previously some boards did not include these on their losses register e.g. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian.

  There was a high value of stock write offs of medical products as a result of changes in clinical practice. While these are recorded on the losses register, these items have not been lost or stolen.

National Health Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the amount budgeted for distinction awards in the 2010-11 draft budget is £30 million in cash and £29.6 million in real terms and that this represents a 7.1% and 5.6% increase respectively on the amount budgeted in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: I confirm that the draft budget for distinction awards for 2010-11 was £30 million. However, in March 2010, I accepted the recommendation of the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body that there should be no uplift in the value of the existing awards in 2010-11 and also announced that there would be no new awards for that year. This meant that only recyclable awards i.e. those becoming available through retirals, resignations, deaths and award holders leaving NHS Scotland for any other reason could be re-distributed. The budget for 2010-11 did not therefore increase, remaining at the 2009-10 level of £28 million and the number of awards was frozen at the 2009-10 level. The Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards has recently provided the funding reconciliation for 2010-11 which shows an actual spend of just over £27 million for 2010-11, indicating a £1 million saving in 2010-11. This additional saving is caused by award holders leaving the scheme due to retiral etc throughout the year and therefore not receiving a full year’s payment.

Rail Network

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of cable theft from the railway network have been reported in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many reported incidents of cable theft from the railway network in each of the last five years have resulted in prosecution, broken down by region.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to prevent cable theft from the railway network and at what cost.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many journeys have been (a) cancelled or (b) delayed due to cable theft from the railway network in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on (a) repair and (b) replacement following incidents of cable theft from the railway network in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Executive does not hold information in this format. It is an operational matter for the rail industry and the British Transport Police.

Rail Network

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to the economy is of cable theft from the railway network in the last five years.

Keith Brown: As the Scottish Executive does not hold the information on the extent of the cancellations or delays, it is not possible to provide any estimated cost to the economy. Network Rail is funded to improve the ScotRail service Punctuality Performance Measurement to 92% by 2014, and cable theft is but one of a range of issues that it has to deal with to achieve this target.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements were carried out to the A9 trunk road (a) from May 1979 to May 1997, (b) from May 1997 to May 2007 and (c) since May 2007; what the cost of each was expressed in today's terms, and when each improvement was first announced.

Keith Brown: The following table represents the information currently available in Transport Scotland’s records.

  May 1979 to May 1997

  

Scheme
Carriageway Type:Dual, Single or WS2+11
Total Scheme Cost in December 2010 Prices £ million2
Date Scheme First Announced3


Dornoch Firth Bridge
S
32.904
n/a


Broomhill to Logie Easter
S
11.41
n/a


Dunblane Bypass
D
21.1
n/a


Greenloaning to Blackford
D
16.74
n/a


Dunbeath Bridge
S
9.71
n/a


Kessock Bridge
D
107.404
n/a


Cromarty Bridge
S
41.404
n/a


Longman to Charlestown
D
5.90
n/a


Charlestown to Tore
D
14.47
n/a


Tore to Duncanston
S
9.18 
n/a


Alness Bypass
S
9.12
n/a


Evanton Bypass
S
11.30
n/a


The Mound Bridge
S
7.34
n/a


Pitlochry Bypass I
S
29.94
n/a


Pitlochry Bypass II
S
12.89
n/a


Blackford Bypass
D
7.14
n/a


Aviemore to Granish
S
9.71
n/a


Ardullie to Foulis
S
3.17
n/a


North Kinguissie to South Aviemore
S & WS2+1
17.65
n/a


Regional Boundary to Drumochter Lodge
D
3.57
n/a


Killicrankie to North of Calvine I
D
33.90
n/a


North of Guay to Tynreich
D
11.30
n/a


Auchterarder and Aberuthven Bypass
D
14.87
n/a


Perth Western Bypass
D
8.72
n/a


Killicrankie to North of Calvine II
D
52.74
n/a


Dalreoch to Burnside
D
19.23
n/a


Tore to Maryburgh
S
14.47
n/a


Calvine to Regional Boundary
S
50.36
n/a


Crubenmore to North of Kingussie
S
11.90
n/a


Avielochan to Slochd
S
12.49
n/a


Dalmagarry to Bogbain
S
12.09
n/a


Burnside to Broxden
D
7.53
n/a


Dornoch Northern Approach Roads
S
5.55
n/a


Dornoch Southern Approach Roads
S
10.71
n/a



  May 1997 to May 2007

  

Scheme 
Carriageway Type:Dual, Single or WS2+11
Total Scheme Cost in Dec 2010 Prices £ million2
Date Scheme First Announced


Logie Easter to Garrick Bridge
S
4.30
May 1994


Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness (Phase 1)
S
5.98
April 2002


Inveralmond Roundabaout  - improvement
n/a
0.87
April 2006



  Since May 2007

  

Scheme
Carriageway Type:Dual, Single or WS2+11
Total Scheme Cost in Dec 2010 Prices £ million2
Date Scheme First Announced


Ballinluig Junction
D
17.92
2002


Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness (Phase 2)
S
9.66
2002


Moy WS2+1 Improvements and Maintenance
WS2+1
3.15
August 2008


Loaninghead
D
3.10
November 2007


Carrbridge WS2+1 Improvements and Maintenance
WS2+1
2.92
August 2008


Crubenmore Extension
D
14.09
August 2008


Bankfoot Improvements
S
2.89
August 2008



  Notes:

  1. WS2+1: Wide Single (2+1) carriageway road with two lanes of travel in one direction and single lane in opposite direction. These provide dedicated overtaking opportunities in two lane direction while overtaking in single lane direction is prohibited.

  2. Unless otherwise stated, the December 2010 equivalent prices were obtained by applying RPI to the original scheme cost estimates available - Refer Office National Statistic Table RP02.

  3. For schemes opened prior to May 1997, the dates these schemes were first announced are not available.

  4. Current bridge replacement cost at December 2010.

Scottish Government Advertising

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the 2010-11 budget for its Marketing Unit had been spent by 1 February 2011 and how much is budgeted to be spent in the coming months.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an itemised breakdown of how its Marketing Unit budget has been spent in each of the last five years.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on marketing between April 2010 and 1 February 2011 and how much it plans to spend before the dissolution of the Parliament in March 2011.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an itemised breakdown of what it has spent on marketing in each of the last five years and of planned spending before the dissolution of the Parliament in March 2011.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38966 on 3 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  An itemised breakdown of the Marketing Unit budget by topic is shown in the following table.

  List of Campaign Details

  

Campaigns 2009-10
Campaigns 2008-09


Active Nation Scottish Cup
Ageism


Additional Support for Learners
Alcohol


Ageism
Care Information Scotland


Alcohol
Cashback


Big Freeze 
Children's Hearings


Breast Feeding
Climate Change Adaption


Care Info Scotland
Climate Challenge Fund


Cashback
Community Safety Policy


Child Internet Safety
Curriculum for Excellence


Children's Hearings
Diffuse Water Pollution


Climate Challenge Fund
Domestic Abuse


Climate Change 
Drugs


Community Safety
Early Years Strategy


Curriculum for Excellence
Fire (Domestic and Setting)


Domestic Abuse
Firearms


Drugs
Flu


Early Years (Play, Talk and Read)
Greener


Firearms
Hand Hygiene


Fire Domestic/Setting
Healthy Living


Greener
Hep C


Hand Hygiene
Homecoming Scottish Cup


Hep C
Home Report


Home Report 
Mutual NHS


JP Recruitment
National Care Standards


National Care Standards
Organ Donation


Omnibus Survey (New Year Behaviours) 
Prescription Charges


Organ Donation
Protection Vulnerable Groups


Prescription Charges
Race


Protection of Vulnerable Groups
Road Safety


Race
Science (Choose Life)


Road Safety
Sex Offenders


Science
Sexual Health


Sexual Health
Stakeholder Audit 


Take Life On
Take Life On 


Wellbeing
Teacher Recruitment


World Skills
Wellbeing


Zero Waste
World Skills 


 
Youth Health Project


 
Zero Waste



  

Campaigns 2007-08
Campaigns 2006-07
Campaigns 2005-06


Additional Support for Learning
Air Discount Scheme 
Alcohol


Ageism
Alcohol
Antisocial behaviour (standing up to)


Alcohol
Anti Social Behaviour (ASB)
Career opportunites within NHSScotland for the 25+ 


Better Health Better Care 
Career Opportunities within NHS
Children's Hearings


Broadband
Children's Hearing
Domestic Abuse


Career Opportunities
Choices for Life 
Drug Misuse - Know the Score


Cash Back 
Domestic Abuse
Environment


Child Protection Line
Drugs misuse
Fire Safety Domestic (Don't Give Fire a Home)


Children’s Hearing’s
Fire Safety (Domestic)
Flu/pneumococcal (integrated)


Domestic Abuse
Fire Safety (Legislation) 
Healthy Living


Drugs 
Flu
Mental Health


Fire 
Hepatitis C 
Organ Donation


Flu / pnuemococcal
Healthy Living
Race: One Scotland Many Cultures


Greener
Lay Justice Appointments 
Smoking


Healthy Living
Mental Health
Road Safety


Hepatitis C
Older Persons Consultation 
Teacher Recruitment


Knife Crime
Organ Donation
Violence against Public Sector Workers


Licensing Act (2005)
Race
Volunteering


National Care Standards
Road Safety
 


Organ Donation
Salmon Parasite 
 


Older Persons Help Line
Single Transferable Vote 
 


Prescription Charges
Smoking
 


Race
Social Care 
 


Road Safety
Sustainable Development (environment)
 


Scottish Science Strengths
Teacher Recruitment
 


Street Prostitution
Violence Against Public Sector Workers
 


Teacher Recruitment
Volunteering
 


Violence
 
 


Vote Scotland
 
 


Well Being (previously Mental Health)
 
 


World Skills Competition Funding